No Driving Necessary – The Village at Vista Collina Entices Visitors with Tasting Rooms and Gourmet Grocery

Much as may we wish to ignore it, the holiday rush is on. It shouldn’t be this way, that feeling there’s so much to do and so little time to do it. A visit to Napa Valley should always feel unhurried, yet off we go, zipping about from one winery to the next, ticking off tastings like they were obligations on our gift list. Fortunately, The Village at Vista Collina has brought our flights of frenzy to a satisfying halt, a one-visit destination featuring nine tasting rooms, craft brewery, curated grocery and picnic lawn. No car required, step into The Village to taste some of the valley’s finest labels, accented by fine foods prepared inside the upscale Fivetown Grocery – and that’s just the beginning of the experience.

“Picnics on the Lawn” exemplifies the sublimely relaxed ambience of The Village. Executive Chef Vincent Lesage draws from his experience cooking in 3-Star Michelin kitchens in his native Paris. Today, he prepares the finest locally sourced ingredients for his Vista Collina menus, including for those fortunate to settle in for their personal déjeuner sur l’herbe. A Lawn Butler prepares your experience, conveying your picnic, spreading the blanket, offering lawn games and, of course, providing curated fine-wine service.

Hardly your everyday deli fare, the picnic menu may include house-cured ham and gruyère, house-made pickle on sourdough baguette, charcuterie or a crudité plate, among a basket full of delectable dishes. Chef Lesage complements this provender with a lovely selection of wines such as the Roederer L’Hermitage Brut Rosé, Alta Chardonnay and a Chalk Hill Pinot Noir. The world tends to disappear when one settles onto the lawn for the afternoon to play bocce or croquet, or simply reflect upon the unhurried life well lived.

The Village enjoys an equally bucolic setting, with nine tasting rooms and one craft brewery under a single roof. The winery similarities end there, as each premier estate was selected to complement the entire community of vintages. Each winemaker was given a free hand to design a tasting room interior evocative of the label. Trinitas Cellars, for example, presents an elegant, formal experience with leather chairs and a circular tasting bar, where second-generation proprietors Garrett and Betsy Busch offer their signature Carneros Chardonnay and Napa Valley Meritage among other well-regarded varietals.

The Wine Foundry also demonstrates the evolution of Napa winemaking, making it clear California remains the cauldron of innovation in viticulture. The Sensory Laboratory makes winemaking-for-all a hands-on experience, a chance to deconstruct each wine and sharpen one’s palate. Great for groups or individuals, the Tasting Lab invites each guest to get personal with the wine’s construction. Cornerstone Cellars takes a more traditional approach, working with Cabernet grapes to produce among the finest Bordeaux-influenced examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc in the valley.

Like Cornerstone, Jayson by Pahlmeyer originated in the early ʼ90s, when three legendary Napa Valley winemakers tasted the exceptional 1992 vintage with winery founder Jason Pahlmeyer. Today, the legacy continues with the Jayson label and signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Jayson Flight illuminates the bold taste and personality of the winery founder. Mi Sueño Winery rounds out “The Village 9,” offering Rolando and Lorena Herrera’s vision, finely honed from longtime residence in Napa Valley, where they worked in some of the area’s most famous wineries.

The Village also helps to keep that hop in your step, adding Napa Smith Brewery to the mix. The family-owned and operated brewery has become an iconic Northern California brand with a focus on crisp California Lager and Pilsner as well as an energetic Golden Gate IPA. Napa Smith maintains ten draughts in its Village taproom, where flights take a casual rather than fanciful turn. These ales go perfectly with the outside courtyard, so grab your growler and get going.

Napa Smith Brewery tosses a weekly party on Football Sundays, just one of several events that populate the schedule each season. Chef Lesage oversees an innovative culinary class schedule with topics like “The Future of Cooking Dinner,” an evening with special guest chef Philip Tessier, who will demonstrate Hestan Cue, an app-guided cooking system that may well revolutionize how we prepare meals. Seasonal celebrations are always on the calendar as well.

Stepping back into reality from The Village is never easy. Fortunately, memories of great lawn picnics and undisturbed tastings manifest themselves easily, given all nine tasting rooms and the brewery offer bottle sales. A visit to Fivetown Grocery has quickly become a requisite Vista Collina tradition, given the curated aisles of sauces, house-made pasta and other provisions from each of Napa’s five towns. From baked goods to small-batch condiments and cured meats, Fivetown Grocery – like The Village itself – transports visitors to simpler times created from the aesthetic and culinary foundations of history. Visit The Village website and start planning your slow down.